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Post by paischaros on Oct 11, 2007 13:04:19 GMT -5
Ok. I started writing this story for last year's NaNoWriMo...I never got to 50K words, but oh well. I still like the story. It's been a mess for a while, and I haven't touched it for months, but I really need to get cracking on it. So, I looked at the Snowflake method thing, and that looks really cool, and I plan on putting that into action. But I need to do more brainstorming first. Hehe...brainstorming on a story that's partially written. Teehee, very interesting. I was originally going to write it as a crossover kind of thing, where there's a fantasy world and our world, and the characters can go back and forth. Meh, it's not working out too well like that. So...I'm going to stick to just the fantasy world. Besides, I need practice in World Building. After I post this I'm going to print out the Advanced Fiction Writing article about creating storyworlds and bring it with me to read at work (hopefully it'll be slow...). So, until I can show you parts of the actual story, here's some brainstorming I've just done. Know that the people listed so far do actually have names, I just chose not to reveal those names yet This story is about a world named Emtia, and it’s about unicorns. Dunamai is the “God” character in Emtia. The job of the royal family is to protect the unicorns, for they are the symbol of Dunamai. One evil man used to be a night of Emtia, but his greed for power and for the unicorns robbed him of his position, and he lives only to destroy the unicorns, for he believes that by doing so he can destroy Dunamai. The story begins with the murder of the Queen, the disappearance of the King, and the kidnapping of the two princesses. Two years later the younger princess is killed, and the older princess is able to escape, but is now alone. Her mother and sister are dead, and she has no clue where her father is…she fears that he, too, has perished. Dunamai chooses a young peasant boy from a village (I’m still not sure how I’m doing to do this part…), and he meets up with the princess, and the two of them together are now responsible for protecting the unicorns. But it will not be an easy task, by any means. Any thoughts/ideas/suggestions??
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Post by J Jack on Oct 11, 2007 14:29:44 GMT -5
NO PEASANT BOY!! Please for the love of writing avoid that terrible cliche! It's overused. Make it original, please! I will survive if you don't but that's my suggestion. Other than that, I like it and hope to see more of it. As for world building, that's easy. Close your eyes, think of the most epic landscape that comes to mind, picture it, then write it down. Easier said than done for some. So good luck with that .
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Post by Khiya on Oct 11, 2007 16:25:49 GMT -5
I agree that the peasant boy/royal princess cliche is pretty common, but that doesn't automatically mean it's lost its appeal. It really depends what the writer does with that relationship that makes the story intriguing or just another one of the multitude. Don't give up on it yet.
Two things: - How exactly did the royal family go about protecting the unicorns? Is it innate in the family, or is it some special knowledge they have, or what? - Does Dunamai have a specific purpose [He]'s bringing about other than protecting the unicorns from the knight?
I like all the options you could have with this story. You can take it almost anywhere before the end. I like it. Have fun writing it!
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Post by scholar on Oct 11, 2007 18:18:52 GMT -5
Great potential!
I agree with Khiya...the relationship can work depending on how the situation is set up.
You should have lots of fun with this.
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Post by paischaros on Oct 11, 2007 23:19:08 GMT -5
Hehe, ok. No peasant boy. *racks brain*
Originally this boy was from Earth and discovered a mysterious amulet (made from a unicorn horn) in a pawn shop that gave him images of a different world, and eventually drug him to that world. He's my "unlikely hero." Unfortunately, the whole amulet thing has been done before...as has someone from Earth going to a fantasy world and vice versa. *sigh* Trying to come up with something original is...frustrating.
Khiya:
- Originally it is innate in the family. They would rather die then see the unicorns destroyed. When the evil knight becomes a threat, Dunamai provides a place for them to hide the unicorns, and then gives them the amulet made from the horn of the first unicorn ever killed. My first "theory" is that when that unicorn was killed, that was when sin (I plan on using a different word for sin, but haven't thought of it yet) entered Emtia. Kinda like when Adam and Eve ate the apple on Earth. But I dunno if that's gonna work... - I'd like to think of Emtia as a world still without a Savior...but, I dunno. That's kinda being done with Sharon Hinck's books, as well as Christopher Hopper's <_<
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Post by J Jack on Oct 11, 2007 23:32:15 GMT -5
On the world without a Saviour... you're thinking a world with no hero at this junction? Or is it a world without religous faith?
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Post by paischaros on Oct 11, 2007 23:38:31 GMT -5
Hehe...honestly, I haven't gotten that far in my thinking. At this point I'm thinking a world without a hero, but it might change when I have a chance to build this world a bit more.
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Post by mongoose on Oct 12, 2007 23:43:33 GMT -5
*growles in muted frustration* I figure writers can cry, whine, and wrack their brains over this issue of cliches, or they can leave that mumbo-jumbo to the critics, who don't count, and write 1. What's in their hearts, and 2. What the readers want.
Readers want unlikely heroes. What's so cool about a likely hero? They guy who knows from the get-go that he's all that, saves some lives, and then parades in-front of the cameras with a big cheesy grin plastered all over his face? Such people are more often the villians than the real heroes! Or magical devices that take people places. Yes, it's been done before. Narnia, Lawhead's Paradise Wars or Song of Albion trillogy, Jumangi, etc. Why? Because it's one of the coolest speculative concepts! How are we going to relate to a world that's entirely original? To aliens that have no way of interacting with anyone we know, nor us with them? A Celtic world is cool, but not nearly as cool as a modern guy in a celtic world, who has to try to adapt in order to survive. These are some of the best books I've ever read, and they're cliche! Go figure. Or just accept the obvious: People write what they like, and what other people like to read, and thus certain themes get repeated a few times.
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Post by scholar on Oct 13, 2007 0:17:36 GMT -5
I agree with Mongoose.
Perhaps cliche is sometimes symbolic of certain truths and desires that we find a kinship with. Perhaps even harkening back to THE greatest story of all times.
The babe in the manger to be the Messiah. God coming to earth to rescue us. A stuttering murder to become the reluctant leader of a people. The list could go on.
Unlikely heroes; unexpected and at times unexplainable events are all part and parcel of God's word----His story. A Tale told and written by the greatest Author that ever was, is, or will be.
A good book that really opened my eyes to this was Jim Ware's God of the Fairy Tale: Finding Truth in the Land of Make-Believe. It's a good read.
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Post by paischaros on Oct 13, 2007 12:20:05 GMT -5
I'll have to look that book up, sounds interesting!
Thanks for the comments and suggestions, y'all! Right now I'm going to focus on building my world a bit more, and perhaps once I've done that some other things will come into place.
So far, this is what I have for the world:
- Name is Emtia. - It has two moons. - Emtia has the same four seasons we do, but the colors of the leaves change for each season. Winter - purple, Spring - Blue, Summer - Red, and Fall - Yellow.
And that's it so far. Boy, do I have a lot of work to do...
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Post by Christian Soldier on Oct 13, 2007 17:09:46 GMT -5
Yes, but you are making good progress. Keep it up!
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Post by J Jack on Oct 14, 2007 11:41:48 GMT -5
Without work, there is no reward. Keep pluggin away, and eventually you will see a work of art come from a block of stone. Always remember that it WILL NOT be what you want the first time. So, reread, rewrite, rinse and repeat.
Wow, that was slightly profound. Anyway, it is coming along, and I personally cannot wait for it.
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Post by paischaros on Oct 14, 2007 14:18:39 GMT -5
I can't wait for it either. Finding the time will be rather difficult... I wish there was some program where I could draw out a map, and create my world from that, ya know? I could probably draw it myself, but I don't have experience drawing maps, so it would look bad... Edit: Well...there is a program, but it isn't available for Mac yet But I did find this site. She isn't a Christian author, but she gives some good tips for creating a world through mapping, and I may try it (when I have time to sit down and do it).
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Post by sparrow on Oct 16, 2007 12:08:33 GMT -5
Very interesting possibilities with your story. Good blessings in that. I tried to look at the site you suggested but the link wouldn't work for me.
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Post by J Jack on Oct 17, 2007 20:34:46 GMT -5
Back to the cliche thing (I know I know, it was a while back) I'm not saying make something cliched in another way like a supremely likely hero, just make it someone who is not the most unlikely hero, change it just the tiniest bit even. Make it a shopkeeper's son, or a palace guard in the right place at the right time, something different than a freaking peasant kid who becomes uber hero. If that's what you want to do as I am not going knock on your door and stop you so feel free to smash me into the dirt with an amazing novel, however think about it. The most used cliche or something at least a bit new and fresh if not original. And for all of us avid readers learn the basic concept of time (as Mr. Christopher Paolini apparently does not grasp that concept, feel free to ask me about this if you have not read Eragon or haven't the faintest clue what I am talking about
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